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Following the review in January, the "Nationality of Passengers" policy was introduced this week by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), which represents 26 cruise lines, and the European Cruise Council (ECC), in an effort to enhance passenger safety on board cruise liners.

This policy states that each passenger’s nationality should be recorded for use by search and rescue personnel in case of evacuation.

A second safety procedure, outlining a set of 12 universal instructions that should be given to passengers at muster drills, has also been adopted. These include a description of key safety systems, an explanation of emergency evacuation routes, and instructions on how to recognise the vessel's emergency exits.

These new policies follow regulations announced in April by the CLIA and the ECC, limiting visits to the bridge and demanding that ships store additional life jackets in popular areas of each cruise ship.

Safety on board cruise ships has been under intense public scrutiny since the Costa Concordia disaster in January, during which 32 passengers died when the ship ran aground off the island of Giglio. Further speculation was raised barely a month later when the Costa Allegra was left drifting without power off the Seychelles, after a fire in the engine room.

Talking about the latest policies, Christine Duffy, president and CEO of CLIA, said, "Our industry continues to identify proactively a range of measures that will improve the safety of passengers and crew... as has been evidenced by the breadth and scope of the numerous policies that have been developed and adopted as part of the Review since its launch earlier this year"

Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio, chairman of ECC, said, "Establishing common elements of a muster policy will provide our passengers with the confidence that they are receiving the same key safety messages no matter which ship they cruise."